Reading Notes: Pattanaik's "Seven Secrets of Vishnu" (Part A)

For the next three week, I'm going to read Devdutt Pattanaik's "Secrets of Vishnu" (or watch the videos) to learn more about Vishnu. Here are some notes from Part A:

Chapter 1: Mohini's Secret
"Spiritual growth need not exclude material growth."

• Mohini is Visnhu's female form who is an enchantress.
• Hindu mythology uses gender as a vehicle to communicate metaphysical ideas.
• There are two realities in Indian mythology:
• Material (tangible) reality is represented in female form.
• RED - color of blood; sustains life
• Spiritual (intangible) reality is represented in male form.
• WHITE - color of bones; upholds life by being still
• Interdependence of the two realities is represented as a male-female couple.
• EX: Vishnu and Lakshmi
• Reasons for gender assignment:
• Males/Spiritual reality trigger observation.
• Female/Material reality embodies observation.
• (Think of pregnancy)
• Unborn child - innocent, ignorant of the world
• May be represented as Narayana who sleep on a serpent in water.
• Serpent is named Adi-Anatna-Sesha (Primal-Infinite-Residue), which represents the stages of time.
• Adi - represented by 1 - "awakening"
• Anatna - represented by infinity - "awake"
• Sesha - represente by 0 - "asleep"

Mohini

Bibliography: Devdutt Pattanaik's "Secrets of Vishnu"